Sbragia: It'll go right to the wire

06 April 2009 09:15

Ricky Sbragia does not expect Sunderland's fate to be decided until the last day of the season - but is determined to achieve survival.
The Black Cats had been looking to boost their chances of avoiding relegation when they travelled to West Ham on Saturday - but slipped to a disappointing 2-0 defeat.
Other sides such as Blackburn and Stoke managed to pick up three points over the weekend and Sbragia accepts Sunderland are in a lot of trouble.
But having replaced Roy Keane as manager in December, Sbragia does not want to be remembered for the wrong reasons.
"The one thing I don't want to do is be the manager who took Sunderland down," he said. "But I always thought, even at the time I took over, that it would go down to the last game of the season - and I still think that.
"Do I have any regrets? No, I am fine. The players are still good and they are giving me everything in each game."
Sunderland are currently just above the drop zone and North-East rivals Newcastle and Middlesbrough, but they have some tough fixtures still to come including a home game against Manchester United on Saturday.
The Black Cats are without a win in their last six matches and Sbragia insists it is vital to get back on track immediately.
"We just need a win - of course we know that," he said. "A couple of teams have had good wins and it's just knocked them above us. We need to get back to getting three points."